Kashmiri Food For The Soul: Delhi NCR’s Best Places For Wazwan & Beyond

If there is a paradise upon earth, it is here, it is here, it is here. Extending Kashmir’s beauty beyond Amir Khusrau’s famous couplet we arrive straight onto the food. Rich and robust, Kashmiri cuisine packs in a flavourful punch that’s apt for the biting winter months. Even as we are on the lookout for that couple whose nuptials we’d gatecrash purely to sample the wazwan (the traditional Kashmiri feast offering up to 36 courses); we keep the feast-ive spirits high with five places serving soulful Kashmiri food in #OurCity.

Chor Bizarre

Image: dfordelhi.in

Bearing the distinction of being one of the oldest restaurants, Chor Bizarre at Hotel Broadway in Daryaganj boasts of an old world charm that epitomises warm hospitality. Best known for its Kashmiri wazwan, the vegetarian or non-vegetarian tarami offer a variety that will leave you with (just) enough energy to get back on your feet post the feast. It brings to the table a pre-plated thali bearing a melange of flavours and textures through Nadru Yakhni, Haaq, Nadru Churma, and Mooli Akhrot Chutney, heaped around steamed rice. Meat eaters get Seekh Kabab, Tabak Maaz, Goshtaba, Chicken Rogan Josh, Aloo Bukhara Korma, while the vegetarians can enjoy Laal Paneer, Dum Aloo, Khatte Baingan, and Rajmah. Providing the perfect end to this culinary odyssey, Phirni and Kehwa have got your back.

#DSSCTopTip: An even wider selection of the wazwan is available if you provide them with an advance notice.

We look forward to attend Kolahoi, an ongoing pop-up at the erstwhile home of Indian Accentat The Manor. A nine-course Kashmiri Tarami (individual thali) or a 12-course traditional wazwan (ground seating) for groups of four or more, it will welcome you to the realm of food extravaganza.

Dishing out traditional Kashmiri cuisine from their Uday Park outlet, Ahad Sons’ Tabak Maaz (lamb ribs) is one of their most sought after gems. Though one cannot dine-in, nothing is stopping you from grabbing up some Haaq Chaman (fried cottage cheese with Kashmiri collard leaves) on your way back home to beat ‘em winter chills as you cuddle in your PJs. If a supper party is on the horizon or you’re looking to add an Indian touch to ‘em Christmas celebrations, fret not. Delivering large orders, their Goshtaba, Mutton Seekh, and Gogji (fried turnips with gravy) will have your guests swooning. As you brace for a sensory treat, soak in the curries with homemade breads and rice. No, they aren’t going to be adding breads to their menu anytime soon. Yes, we well know the pain of waiting to devour their feast. Their passion to take Kashmiri food far and wide led to make their lip-smacking fare available in canned version.

Pick your chow from 3-A, (Behind Mother Dairy) Uday Park, New Delhi.

Matamaal

Home style Kashmiri Pandit food cravings lead us to Matamaal that literally translates to Nani ka ghar – it can’t get better than that. The cozy restaurant bears Kashmiri decor playing up on nostalgia with a shikara that doubles up as a dining table. The owners’ presence throughout the service ensures a well-laid table and warm hospitality. When here, do not miss out on Kanti, prepared from mutton cubes stir-fried with onions and tomatoes. Just don’t. Go that extra mile and pre-order yourself some special preparations to take the feast up a notch. Rajmah Gogji (kidney beans with turnips), Monj Haaq (knol knol with Kashmiri collard leaves) and Thool Zamboor (Egg Curry) are on the must order list. On your way out pick some Kashmiri breads from their just introduced bakehouse to enjoy with kehwa back home.

A multi-cuisine restaurant in the quaint lanes of Pamposh Enclave, owned by a Kashmiri businessman, Samavar serves ace Kashmiri Pandit fare. Community spirit is redolent amidst banter over Nadru Churma and Mutton Kalia. Kashmiri menu is concise and each dish is prepared in a traditional way. Vetted by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the quality of their food cannot be doubted. With parking aplenty, go ahead, grab that meal day or night, you wouldn’t regret it.

Make your way to B-36, Pamposh Enclave, Greater Kailash 1, New Delhi.

Safapore

Image: We Are Gurgaon.com

Indulge in Kashmiri Pandit food home-cooked by three ladies in Kalkaji. Their signature Rogan Josh is chock-full of flavour and not to be missed. Packaged in regular delivery model boxes and sent in a beautifully designed bag, all you have to do is steam a potful of rice to go with those delicious spicy curries. However, they do require a day’s notice with a minimum order of Rs. 3000.